Mets finalizing deal for ex-Yankees ace, per reports

Luis Severino appears to be staying in New York.

On Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Mets are finalizing a one-year deal worth $13 million for the now-former Yankees starter.

In the General Manager’s Meetings in November, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns singled out pitching as a need this offseason. In adding Severino, Stearns adds a pitcher who has ace potential to a rotation that already includes Kodai Senga, who got an All-Star nod and received NL Cy Young votes, and José Quintana, who posted a 3.57 ERA in 13 starts this season.

Since emerging as the ace of the Yankees staff in 2017 and 2018, Severino, 28, has struggled to stay healthy. The Dominican Republic native posted a 41-25 record in his first 96 games (85 starts) with a 3.51 ERA and 572 strikeouts over 518 innings, a 9.9 strikeouts per nine rate.

Since then, he’s spent six different stints on the injured list, including an extended leave after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2020. Since returning in 2021, Severino has appeared in 42 games (37 starts) and has a 12-11 record with a 4.65 ERA and 199 strikeouts over 197.1 innings, a 9.1 strikeouts per nine rate.

This season, Severino hit rock bottom.

In 19 games (18 starts) he posted career worsts in ERA (6.65), WHIP (1.65), strikeouts per nine (8.0), hits per nine (11.4) and home runs per nine (2.3). His 4-8 record is his worst since 2016 when he went 3-8 in 22 games (11 starts).

He did seem to find something in his final five starts of 2023 where he carried a 3.16 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 25 innings of work. A poorly timed oblique injury cut his season short on Sept. 8“I’ve been getting better and my whole body was feeling great,” he told reporters after the game. “I was not expecting this.”

Few expected Severino to take his talents to Queens where he’ll try to regain his ace status again.

Manuel Gomez may be reached at [email protected].